One of several near misses; we had just arrived when the sound of a fast approaching diesel could be heard. I hadn't time to change lenses and so caught 66580 speeding over the Stour bridge on the 4R98

A few minutes later the 07:00 Norwich to Liverpool Street slowing down for the Manningtree stop.

The 07:47 Harwich Town to Cambridge coming off the chord at Manningtree North Junction.

Disappointingly the first six flats of the 4L27 were empty, lessening the visual impact...

...they were all in the middle or rear of the train

At Manningtree the 07:38 to Lowestoft speeds across the junction.

Another just made it picture. After parking in the ICI car park at Cattawade we walked up to the bridge which links the Stour River Walk with Brantham Church. Only just made it and changed the lens when the 4L95 appeared a few minutes early at 09:08

From there we walked along the path which took us to the Stour River Walk. This fox was clearly using the low tide to catch a meal, in this case a Shelduck. But the fox took fright when he saw Mel and I and dropped the Shelduck in the reeds, from where it scrambled away although I doubt it would survive for very long.

Taken from the river path, the 08:38 Liverpool Street to Peterborough climbing towards Brantham from the Stour crossing.

The second NXEA 90 we saw yesterday. 90015 Colchester Castle is on the 09:00 from Norwich

Nice to think this was the Shelduck the fox had caught happily recovered, but I doubt it.

90013 pushing the late running 09:00 from Liverpool Street towards Ipswich.

Rather later than expected (10:24 against a booked time at Ipswich of 10:05) 66722 Sir Edward Watkin on the 4L02, the second time this week that I had seen it on this train.

66522 on the 4M87, simply a long train of empty flats.

Moving to the popular location near the footpath crossing at Brantham, 66575 piloting 90041 on an early 4L89, I guess as a result of not stopping to detach the pilot at Temple Mills. This too was another rushed shot. We were standing on the side of the bank looking north when the driver blew for the crossing. Doing a passable imitation of Usain Bolt I managed to get down to the crossing just as the train appeared. Sometimes I feel I may be getting too old for this game.

And now some pictures taken from the justly popular Essex bank of the Stour, firstly the 09:55 from Peterborough...

...then the 4A03 empty flats from Felixstowe to Harwich.

90013 again on the 11:30 from Norwich, at Cattawade...

...and then crossing the Stour, the tide had started to turn and the river was slowly filling

And finally another picture of 90015, unsportingly the sun disappeared momentarily before it turned up, pushing the 11:30 to Norwich

From Manningtree we drove to Stowmarket and Lancaster's crossing on the road to Bacton. The 13:10 from Great Yarmouth was the NXEA liveried set complete with the other NXEA 90. The sun shone until about 5 minutes before it turned up. So these two ladybirds, doing whatever it is ladybirds do on a summer Saturday, will have to do instead. You'll have to imagine the NXEA livery.

Another snatched shot with completely the wrong aperture setting, the GBRf Felixstowe to Peterborough convoy passing Lancaster's Crossing at 14:23

Lastly, as we made our way back to London, the ever reliable 4L85 Leeds to Felixstowe approaching Kennett. Here too the sun had disappeared only minutes before the train turned up but it was probably a good thing because by this time of the afternoon Kennett is very backlit. The box is switched out, hence both up and down semaphores are off.